


Hunted

by day_eight



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 07:03:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11375052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/day_eight/pseuds/day_eight
Summary: A brief writing exercise.





	Hunted

**Author's Note:**

> Written to the song prompt of [The Wolf and the Hanged Men](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7LzDCyb9yY) from _King Arthur: Legend of the Sword_. I highly recommend listening to the song while reading.

They run, and they don’t look back. The two of them shift like shadows through the darkness, stepping lightly from soft moss to damp soil, vaulting over small streams and fallen trees. The forest here is close and quiet, an endless maze of vines and branches, the earthy smell of green and brown and rot.

A thick blanket of cloud clings to the sky, the moon a mere smudge of grey against an expanse of pure black. They have no stars to guide them, no light to illuminate the terrain, just the faint murmur of the river to their east. The wind is icy now, gusting in from the north, carrying with it a sense of dread even more chilling than the cold.

They run, keeping the river to their left, over hills and through ravines, circling around clearings where the snow has settled on the ground. Their pace is rapid but steady, instinct and training guiding their feet so they leave no mark, make no sound. They slip over and through and under obstacles, leaving nothing but a sense of urgency in their wake.

Thirst begins to dull their endurance, creeping in slowly until it becomes unbearable to deny. They pause at the next stream they cross, their backs nearly touching as they crouch down to drink. Something moves in the darkness, cautious and low to the ground. Stillness overtakes them, anticipation passing like electricity between their bodies as they listen.

 _Wolf_. Fili grabs his hand, presses the silent sign into his palm. Kili tilts his fist once to confirm, barely breathing as he listens and waits. After a second Fili taps his palm once, twice, three times, then draws a line across his fingers. _Three more, 40 yards away_. Kili shrugs, a slight lift of the heel of his hand. They have no choice but to continue on.

They run, hunted now from near and afar, listening for movement both around and behind them. The first howl comes from ahead and to the right, trying to herd them toward the river. They push forward as the other wolves call out in reply, their keening howls like eerie echoes reverberating through the stillness, growing ever nearer.

The wolves are all around them now, circling in tighter, so close Kili can hear their quiet snarls and chuffing breaths. His body tightens, tense with stress and strain, but he clears his mind and focuses solely on the simple task of running. He breathes in, breathes out, fighting to keep his muscles relaxed and pliant, staving off the inevitable fatigue. 

They run, the wolves alongside and behind and ahead of them, their howling surely attracting the attention of any orcs still giving chase. A chill runs up Kili’s spine when he hears, no more than a mile away, the discordant howl of a warg. The wolves fall silent, wary, and run faster. Adrenaline seethes through Kili’s veins. The wolves break from their hunting formation and veer left, away from the river. Kili follows, then Fili, and suddenly they’re all running together, dwarves and wolves, six shadows racing through the forest.

The darkness begins to recede, a subtle greyness touching the forest canopy, shapes becoming visible as dawn threatens to break. Kili can sense, can almost see movement all around him, blurred forms rushing between the solid blackness of trees. The wolves still run with them, silent now, leaping across their path before darting back into the underbrush. Light creeps back into the corners of the forest, pushing away the darkness, dispelling fear and the urgency of escape. 

They pause as soon as the sun comes up in earnest. Fili doubles over, clutching at his side, while Kili drops to his knees on the mossy ground. There’s movement in the forest, quiet yipping sounds as the wolves circle around, curious. One of them lingers nearby, golden eyes gleaming, its fur as dark as sin. He stands there for a moment, staring, contemplating, then silently bares its teeth. 

Kili grins back, while Fili throws his head back in a howl.


End file.
